First: open contract negotiations. Shadow is catalytic in how NJEA leadership gets over on taxpayers and, more importantly, works to keep bad teachers in the profession. After all, a bad teacher pays the same amount of dues as a good one, so the more teachers, the better, regardless of ability or outcomes. Additionally, it's a lot easier to ask for things most taxpayers would find borderline absurd when no one can watch the dog and pony show around teacher contract negotiations. The process should be made visible for everyone to see.

Second: stop making school districts the fiduciary entity for dues collection. This has less to do with leveling the playing field, and more to do with the free speech of NJEA members. There are many teachers, liberal and conservative, who do not agree with NJEA agenda items, but they must contribute to the overall agenda nonetheless. How about NJEA "asking" members for their money for political donations instead of getting a huge pot of cash delivered straight to them via taxpayer financed school districts? Makes too much sense to do it, right?

Part of getting folks to do the right thing is giving them a chance to. I don't write this to let everyone in Trenton off the hook...but to say there's a way we can enable them to at least be excellent, or terrible, on their own terms.